Glad I burn wood & not pellets

[Dirtboy]

Don't know how it is where you live, but there is a big shortage of wood pellets around here. All the stores have been out for awhile, and I noticed as they were getting close to the end of their supply they conveniently raised the price. I feel sorry for people that use them as a primary source of heat. Apparently manufacturers did not plan on this severe of a winter. This is the second time in the last 5 years there has been a shortage over here.

 

[Woody912]

Don't know how it is where you live, but there is a big shortage of wood pellets around here. All the stores have been out for awhile, and I noticed as they were getting close to the end of their supply they conveniently raised the price. I feel sorry for people that use them as a primary source of heat. Apparently manufacturers did not plan on this severe of a winter. This is the second time in the last 5 years there has been a shortage over here.

gone for over a month here

 

[StihlFroling]

Are you talking about bagged at the store, or bulk delivery?

 

[Dirtboy]

Are you talking about bagged at the store, or bulk delivery?

Both.

 

[mainewoods]

I drove by several hardware stores the other day and they had plenty. Big signs out front - we have wood pellets. Wal Mart even has them, at least up here. I would think our state consisting of 90% + forest might have a little something to do with it.

 

[jimbojango]

i'm not sure if there is a shortage here or not as i don't burn them. I have noticed if you "prebuy" them in the fall they give a pretty deep discount on them so they don't have to handle them and the frieght of them all winter. I know the manager at one store and he just hates dealing with them in general.

 

[jinxx4ever]

my brother prebuys every year, then come spring if he hasnt' used them all, uses them day and nite as he doesn't want to store them all summer.

 

[autoimage]

what are the advantages of pellets over wood? I don't know much about them

 

[djones]

Convenience.

 

[philoshop]

...and a stove with a self-feeding hopper can be controlled with a thermostat.

 

[Oliver1655]

Less mess. Easier to feed the hopper for those with bad backs than having to wrestle with larger splits. Drag a bag into a wagon, use a pitcher as a scoop.

When we get our house built we will be switch to a pellet stove for the house. I will still have wood stoves in the shop.

 

[flotek]

I know guys who burned well over 5 tons this winter that's like 1300$ seems like not much savings to me ..I guess if your lazy or physically not able to load wood then makes sense . We have a shortage here in pa big time even the places that manufacture them are out. . The tsc the ace hardware and Home Depots are all out and when they get them in they sell too fast and stores now have a 10 bag maximum limit nobody can even buy a ton . My friend drove over 75 miles one way to get some and they had sold 13 tons in 2 hours after he called ..so by the time he arrived he got the last pallet and begged the manager .

 

[dancan]

I've not heard of any shortage up here but this extended cold has some people trying to save where they can and a few people looking to make a buck where they can .
Home made mdf pellets .

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-buy-sell-other/bedford/wood-pellets/571376824?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

 

[Oliver1655]

Using pellets is a choice folks make for many reasons. (Consolidated from above.)
- Physically unable to handle splits.
- Have allergies to the dust, mold, certain species, ...
- Cleaner
- Less concerns of bringing in insects with the wood.
- Convenience - Able to to take of for a day or two & have the hopper tend the fire for them. Can fill the hopper at their convenience instead of the wood stove' shorter burn times.

There are quite a few members with pellet stoves who are very active firewood cutters. I don't know that I would call them lazy. I imagine half of them could match you cord for cord.

 

[jimbojango]

I have a buddy in his 60's that was a pellet stove guy up until last year. He'd had both shoulders replaced and couldn't wield a chainsaw. He had burned wood up until he was 50 or so maybe longer and then made the pellet switch. Its NOT cheaper than firewood if you're cutting your own wood but it IS cheaper than propane or natural gas if you put the pencil to it. Besides that i could carry him 5 bags of pellets inside next to the stove and him or his wife could use a coffee can and dump them in and it lasted them 3 days in the cold and 5 days when it was warmer.

I have said i would NEVER burn them, but you know... if i had a full time job and had the money i would. I can't "afford" to cut wood when i can buy the crap and fill it once a day. 1 ton is equal to a cord of BTU's or fairly close the way we all figured it. $150 bucks a ton on preorder (or bulk like we can get here) isn't so high now is it? I can go work 3 hours of overtime and pay for a ton of wood instead of driving to my tree (10 minutes) cutting wood for 2 hours, loading the pickup and trailer for an hour, going home and splitting for 2 hours, and being worn the heck out.

Make dollars and sense yet?

 

[TheLazyBFarm]

So what do the pellet guys do when the stores run out of pellets? Can they substitute wood in their pellet stoves or are they SOL?

 

[jimbojango]

So what do the pellet guys do when the stores run out of pellets? Can they substitute wood in their pellet stoves or are they SOL?

if they have the money up front in our area they buy a corn/pellet stove and usually burn pellets. But if push comes to shove they can shove corn straight out of the combine through them. Not real pretty when corn was $6 but now that its 4 its not so bad. The only complaint I've heard about corn is that it burns "about twice as much" to put the same heat out, no clue if that's true or if it was high moisture or anything further

 

[Oliver1655]

They do just like those that burn wood. Plan ahead & stock up during the summer specials with what they expect to burn + 15%. Then when the weather is bad they can just stay home & keep worm.

 

[TheLazyBFarm]

So, a pellet stove *can't* burn wood?

If so, what's the difference between paying for pellets vs. propane/NG/oil/electricity???*



*For the obtuse, I'm being facetious here.

 

[jimbojango]

So, a pellet stove *can't* burn wood?

If so, what's the difference between paying for pellets vs. propane/NG/oil/electricity???*



*For the obtuse, I'm being facetious here.

Insert link of website AS hates here" PM me and i'll hook you up

I think that tells you why people burn pellets. Being facetious and all